Grimmbiotic
by NevermoreJones
Summary: Jaune hasn't been home for a while, so Soleil Arc takes his place in Beacon. On a semi-related note, there have been reports of a dark creature roaming the city of Vale. I wonder what that's about?
1. Venomous

**Chapter One: I'm Addicted to You, Don't You Know That You're Toxic?**

The world in and around the ranch betrayed the feelings inside the estate.

The sun shone brightly, warding off clouds and rain and all that depressing weather. The forest was alive with sound, with birds trilling high notes and wild bears growling low notes as game, large and small, ran around the chaparral. Unless they were emotionally close to the occupants of the estate, most of the people travelling down the avenue in front of the ranch whistled and skipped their way down the path.

Even Zephyr- the wind- whistled and blew about playfully and in high spirits, unimpeded by the towering oak, the fields of crop, the violent bull grazing just meters away from other- female- bovines, and the towering windmill and silo. It blew all around the ranch, spreading its bliss through all the acres.

All throughout, except for a small, central location.

The house, too big to be a simple two-story yet not large enough to be a manor- its size was akin to a townhouse-, was well-kept and clean. The paint coating the walls was a deep beige- after all, the occupants thought having an icy white house in the middle of a ranch would be a bitch to keep clean. The porch was wide and covered by a canopy supported by two lone marble columns. The roof sloped gently in a unique curved shape- a design choice made by one of those younger people living in the house. Underneath one of the windows, there was a small hanging garden that grew plant matter for… recreational uses. Over a decade had passed since it was added to the building, and on today of all days, the sagging garden almost looked like tears.

Inside the home, the occupants were in very similar manners of dress- formal, highly formal. The clothes were mainly colored a very neutral and balanced gray, and secondarily colored a very pronounced dark yellow- in their opinion, highly symbolic.

Their breakfast was dreary and somber and separate from each other.

The lone twin, sitting in front of the unlit fireplace, sighed as she ate. Her mother had not yet left her room that morning- her only sign of occupation was an empty tray with crumbs on it. Her father was eating on the porch, surveying his own land as he consumed his grits to distract himself. The two eldest children were occupying the dining room- she could hear their arguing. The triplets- bless their younger hearts- were eating silently in the foyer. Her other sister was holed up in the library. She was probably looking at the old photo album with an untouched bowl next to her.

She herself was sitting in their grand living room, staring wistfully at the sword and shield hanging on the mantle over the fireplace. Her mind roamed back to the days where he would do nothing but stare at the pair all the day, enraptured by the stories his father used to tell him about their family's proud lineage, of all the prestige their ancestors earned that culminated into obtaining a humble ranch somewhat near the city where their descendants could live comfortably until their swords were needed once more.

She missed those halcyon days.

To think that, exactly one year ago, just one year ago, her twin brother disappeared from Remnant. And on today of all days…

For a moment, her eyes drifted towards a big picture on the side table. There, in front of her and her twin, she smiled. A party horn was placed in front of him- a throwback to his penchant for playing jokes and making events infinitely more fun and like a party. Even that cold, uptight Specialist Schnee that often accompanied her father's friend Lieutenant General Ironwood cracked a smile every now and then at her brother's antics.

She wiped away a tear.

No need to dwell _too_ long on the past; if she wanted to become a Huntress, she'd need to suppress negative emotions as much as possible.

But she still hurt. She still missed him. But if no amount of time could remove this pain, she'd try her best to dumb it down herself.

With that in mind, she decided to do some training with the sword and shield her brother revered so much. As she looked back up at the pair, however, she gasped.

The shield was intact like always. But the sword- was stolen. In its place were massive claw marks and a weird black ooze. Slowly, she got up and approached the scene of the crime. As she felt up the ruined wall, and as she tried not to touch the ooze, she heard a noise. Craning her head, she saw that the window- one she had previously opened to let out the stuffy air- had been closed. More ooze was left behind.

"Oh… oh my… B-B? **Noir**? **MOM AND DAD?** _ **GUYS!**_ "

* * *

In a different neck of the woods, most of the surrounding wildlife had fled upon sensing… it.

For part of it's journey it swung and shot through the trees with expertise and precision, while for another part it crashed and stumbled through the underbrush.

Aside from the shaking up the homes of poor critters, it was coated in a swirling, almost sentient mass of dark liquid. In some parts of its body the fluid ran smooth; other parts, the fluid was like a maelstrom; in other other parts, the head especially, the fluid was like liquid flame.

However, over the head and chest and over the elbows and knees, there was no dark liquid. Instead, there were only solid masses of the most discomforting shade of ivory available. Each one was irregular in shape, but formed some basic armor- elbow and knee guards, a breastplate, and a facial plate, each one with different bumps and ridges and the occasional spike.

But it was not the appearance nor the disturbance that emptied the forest- it was the commotion. Despite its mouth never opening, it made the most horrible noises imaginable. It moaned dreadfully, and gave painful grunts accompanied by occasional unholy screeching.

Scratches and claw marks were left behind on trees as it passed by, carrying with it a prize. Within the fluid of its body, there was an gleaming sword of white and gold.

As it fell victim to another fest of screeching and growling, it saw a puddle. Clutching its pained head, it hobbled over to the small body of water. The area around its mouth, which was sealed and unseeable, split apart to reveal a sickly white tongue and jagged, serrated dentition within its maw. As it lapped up the water, it saw how the sun reflected off the water and was absorbed by the sword's pommel, which glimmered like white embers.

Black tears fell from its face as it recalled everything.

It recalled the events one year ago that led to its creation. It recalled its attempts to establish an identity, to reign in control of its madness- a struggle that still went on.

And then it recalled the raw emotions it felt when it went near the ranch. Not only those of the occupants, but its own emotions as well.

"D-damn it all, I just wanted to go back."

" _They would have never accepted us."_ Its- or their- reflection in the water spat back out

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT! Mom would've… and dad would… and then poor Soleil and Blanc and Violet and Noir and all the rest- I could've been with them again!"

" _Look at us! WE WERE NEVER NORMAL. You would've slipped, and our instincts would have made_ _ **mincemeat**_ _out of them!"_

"I don't care! This-" They pulled out the blade. "I wanted to _earn_ this, not steal it from my own family!"

" _You wanted to see them again. But we would have had to leave anyway. Listen to yourself wail- you don't even sound the same anymore. Not since we came to be."_

"No… no… i _t_ wa _s_ _ever s_ inc _e_ _ **th**_ **ey** co _rr_ upt _ed u_ s. _WE ha_ ve been ru _nning, su_ rviv _ing a_ nd liv _in_ g all _to remo_ ve thi _s… thi_ s…"

Another banshee scream rippled throughout the forest as they clutched their head and their heart. " _Th_ is p _a_ i _n!_ W _e… re_ ven _g_ e RA _RRG_ H!"

Trees fell all around them as they clawed and smashed their surroundings to remove themselves from their pain and suffering… or at least, wait it out.

Nearly an hour had gone by before the pain became manageable again, at the expense of their mind.

"No… I thought we were over this already!"

" _In time yes. But now? While we're still young? HAH! We'd have more luck trying to separate without you having to tear your own skin off."_

"Urgh… ngh…" Frustration at their predicament was not doing them any good- they knew it wouldn't. But still, they whined and complained about the constant aching… and hunger… and- "HAAGH!"

" _Quit- nghh- acting as if you- rrgh- were the only one in pain! Gah…"_ They wanted, no, needed another distractor before they clawed at themselves in another attempt to remove the pain.

And then they saw it. Shining in the sun was the sword, embedded in a tree, flung there by their thrashing.

Walking towards it, a hand stretched out, they almost choked out a cry. Once more, their sanity was beginning to slip. After one year of care, a single day spent trying to see family again, trying to regain humanity again, nearly broke them once more. This is why they never wanted to go near civilization again, why they wanted so much space to themselves- the part that was human wanted be with other humans, wanted to be only human again.

But that could never be. Not while the Grimm substance covering them kept raging every now and then.

"... I need a distractor…something to help discipline me aside from swinging and running and camouflage training..."

" _Heh… why not play with that puny human sword of yours? Who knows- it might make a good addition to our talons and chelicerae."_

Without a word, they picked it up- light as a feather to them despite the heaviness of the Carbalite used to forge it- and began to swing it around in a wide Arc.

* * *

 **Three years later**

*click!*

Soleil Arc's face shone with determination as she did the final adjustments to her garb. It consisted of an open saffron racer jacket over a beige tank top. Yellow fingerless gloves with metal plating covered the back of the hand while lustrous elbow guards covered the jacket. Rounding out the main clothing set were desert-camouflage trousers and dark-olive boots protected with titanium over the shins and toes. All the metal on her clothing was a nice off-white color, matching the hair tie that kept her blonde locks in a ponytail.

Adjusting the straps one last time, she smiled, satisfied, and exited her room. As she did, she made sure to stoop down and pick up her weapons: Crocea Vita, the family shield that was not stolen; her Blank Dust 12 millimeter bullets; and Viridi Arma, her personal high-powered 10-shot revolver with a 35 centimeter long barrel.

Walking out of the room, she noted that it was still really early in the morning- the shattered golden moon was still in the sky, and the silver sun was barely peeking over the horizon.

She stopped herself at the foyer of the house.

 _This is it_ , she told herself. _The moment I walk out this door, I leave home for the next four years._

 _Well, it's not all bad. I already said my goodbyes to everybody else last night during the send-off party, so the rest of the family shouldn't be THAT sad when I leave… gosh, maybe Cramois is gonna bawl when I leave. She wouldn't stop crying last night. I hope Emeraude and Lilas can keep her from losing her voice this time. Heh, she can be too emotional sometimes._

 _I wonder if Celeste can keep Blanc and Noir from fighting without me to help her? Well, it's not like those two will ever do anything more than yell at each other- they'd never actually come to blows. Especially not while mom and dad still run the house…_

 _Oh Brothers, will the house be okay if only mom and dad run it? Both of them are too klutzy to help out with housework- surprising given all the crops and animals we're able to grow and harvest and sell- and are more hindrances than help! And I'm the only person who ever did the chores around here whenever grandma leaves for business… oh man, the house is going to be burned down, won't it? Maybe I better just stay here and-_

"Soleil?" She stopped and stiffened. She looked behind her.

Her father's figure was not what it used to be. Yes, he was still rather fit, given the fact that he was a farmer and all. However, when he was younger and before the disappearance of Jaune, his figure was more… hulking. He was large, athletic, sinewy, but with a hint of gentleness to him that allowed him to handle his small children with ease and allowed him to hug his wife without harm… not much of an achievement, really, considering her mom was the more muscular of the two anyway.

After the disappearance of her twin, however… his figure grew more lean. He wasn't skeletal, as his work made sure he kept muscle- he just wasn't as big or lively anymore. And the gentleness was still there- not that anything could ever get rid of it- but it was much more subdued. He was weary, and his hair had become a nice shade of brown and silver. Losing a child did not do anything for a parent that loved that child… a thing that Soleil and all her sisters saw.

"Hey… dad."

"You're still here."

"Yeah, I… uh, I…"

"You're hesitating, aren't you?" She didn't need to say anything, really. She knew he could see it in her eyes- a person like him, who keeps a careful watch on his crops and his cooking and his animals and his children, would definitely see it. He laid his hands on her shoulder as tears were beginning to form on his face. "Seeing my little Sun grow up like this is putting tears into this old man's eyes. Seeing her leave the house like this… seeing her grow from a girl into such a fine wo- wo- woman…"

"Dad," She took his hand off her shoulder, and latched onto it with both hands. She held him gingerly. "Stop. You're starting to make me cry too."

"I just- you know I love you. And you know I support you. But… it's just so hard letting go, you know? I… I… I can't."

"Dad-"

"But I know. I know I have to. I can't keep the Sun at bay forever. I don't want you to have an eternal night over you. I… when Jaune disappeared… you know what I did to him and you and the other girls. I kept you all here. I kept you all as simple farmers because I thought you could be protected." He shook the tears from his eyes. "But I was wrong, and I know it now. Even protecting you here, that's not realistic. I can try my best, but unless you and your sisters can protect yourselves from danger, I am not a parent." In his eyes, Saffron could see him looking at a memory of Jaune. "I have to teach you all, and when I can't anymore I have to let you go to learn it yourselves. I- I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"Well… you kinda are. But it's okay! You can let it all out. You can talk to me, and I could talk to you."

"But that would just make you late for the airship." He pulled her into a hug. "There is SO much more I want to tell you. So much. But, for now, I guess I'll be content with saying this: You know you're always free to visit us again whenever you're homesick."

"... Dad…"

"Shh. Please. I refuse to hold you back, like I did to Jaune." Another wave of tears rolled down his face. "It was always his dream. A dream that was snuffed out too early. A dream-"

"A dream I've taken on for my own." She looked at him with reminiscent irises."I know."

* * *

Training was difficult.

And it wasn't just him mastering his blade, no. It was also his and his other's abilities that required blood and sweat and tears to understand- and am accident to discover.

For instance, being face-to-face with an Aquillian- noted for insane flying abilities and shit senses except for taste, touch, and vision- in its territory. Had Jaune not discovered he could alter his coloration to blend in with his environment, him and his other would never have escaped.

Or, for another example, falling down a cliff because the soil at the cliff's edge was piss-poor and terribly weak. Had he not learned to stick to walls, him and his other would've been- at best- seriously injured.

Both of these abilities found active use above the main entrance to the Arc Mansion foyer.

As he and his other listened in, a dark gurgling could be heard emanating from the back of his mind.

" _Mmm… their anxiety and sadness is such a_ _ **HOT DAMN**_ _delicacy! Alas, it is simply a- *slurps*- snack. Tell us, Scraggles, when is our next hunt and our next meal?"_

" _Stop it."_

" _Aww, is the widdle wascal weeping at his famiwy?_ _ **Crybaby!**_ _"_

" _Hush for a damn moment, will you? I'll find us a pack of despair-rich Nevermores to snack on later, okay?"_

" _But I_ _ **DON'T WANNA EAT**_ _fried wings! And we've been feeding on nothing BUT despair for the past eleven months, I'm TIRED of it! I want something with more of an affinity towards rage, like an Ursa!"_ Other went quiet for a moment. However, Jaune felt a feeling of smugness from it. " _Or maybe Siegmund here wants a Beowulf, some lustiness, for his Sieglinde!"_

" _How many times have I told you_ _ **I DON'T HAVE THE HOTS FOR MY TWIN.**_ _In the names of the Brothers, how many times do I have to repeat to you my-"_

" _ **NO MORE, WE SAY.**_ _I don't want to hear that bullshit about how your twin-liness grants you a damn connection. I don't care what you think fate has in store for you two,_ _ **super-stalker**_ _, I REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THAT EXPLANATION. It don't make no lick'a sense, anyhow.I honestly doubt that you too being twins affords a fated connection similar to soulmates or eternal rivals or any other thing out of our dark mucl."_

" _Then piss off. Crawl back into the corner where you belong."_ The other made some sort of giggling, babbling, gurgling sound. It grated on Jaune's ears, just like everything that the other spewed out of its mouth.

" _Alright, I will. But only so that we don't get killed by your family- I need your body alive, after all. And then the day will come where_ _ **I**_ _shackle_ _ **you**_ _inside our mind!"_ The voice rescinded. Jaune let out a sigh.

He heard the doorknob jangle. Forgetting he was invisible, he quickly scampered up to the roof while still keeping his auditory and visual senses trained on what was going on below.

As the early radiance of dawn enveloped the land, Soleil Arc stepped out into the world, bags and weapons and gear at the ready. Her face looked confident, if a bit weary and tear-stricken; Jaune couldn't ignore the puffy red eyes and the rivulets of tears on her cheeks.

In all honesty, it pained Jaune. Rather than the dull throbbing he could always feel trying to breach their way into his heart and soul, it was like a lance through his cardiac muscles. He so wished to go down there and show her comfort, so wished to explain that he was alright.

Except he wasn't alright, and he knew it. Because of his other, Jaune believed he could never be among the normal ever again Together they would be outcasts, shunned ones. After all, a being coated in a mass of moving slime would turn away most of the general population- except for law enforcement, apathetics, and the odd scientist.

Jaune stowed away his simmering wrath as he focused on another reason- she had little other purpose. Her dream of being a world class ballet dancer was permanently put on hold the moment he disappeared. Now, there was only a drive to uphold his memory- a future sacrificed for someone else who was believed to be dead. If, at this point of her life, she were to know the truth… well, it is a severe understatement to say that she would not be happy, Jaune thought to himself.

Just as he told himself one night while she wept at her window clutching a photo of her beloved twin in her hand, it was better for him to live the lie.

Jumping off the roof and performing a well-practiced silent landing, Jaune and his other followed her as she packed her things into an old hover-jeep. They crawled under the jeep as she started it up.

As Soleil Arc drove to the nearest town with an airship pier, she could've sworn the jeep rode a little lower to the ground than normal.

* * *

 **A/N: Updates random.**

 **Somewhat inspired by Venom.**

 **Since the audience now knows the basics, it's less of a "who is this guy and where's Jaune?" and more of a "how will they meet up? how will they act? when will all the things happen?"**

 **Part V Never**


	2. Amicable

**Chapter Two: You Got A Friend In Me, You Got A Friend In Me!**

It wasn't much. It was a small siren, really. Not loud nor blaring, not flashing red lights that spun round and round.

No, it was a simple, single siren. One that really didn't have Soleil Arc worried.

"GRIMM DETECTED. GRIMM DETECTED. GRIMM HAS ENTERED BEACON AIRSPACE." She wasn't worried, because that klaxon meant that Beacon Academy at least invested in some pretty swood radar, sonar, and whatever sort of warning system the school had.

"CALCULATED GRIMM LEVEL: 17." Ooh, a level 17 Grimm? That's pretty weak. More than likely, a Muroid snuck on board an airship, as if they were rats. Well, since they are essentially grimm rats, that is to be expected.

Now, the siren wasn't much. The problem, however, was that Soleil Arc did not receive much sleep last night; her farewell party lasted until past the witching hour, and her flight from her hometown of Pucelle to Beacon was rather early- possibly 7:30 in the morrow. That tocsin interrupted her nap and the pleasant dream she had during that nap.

Still, she had to give kudos to such an alarm system. Even though it was annoying, and was detecting a grimm that was as weak as an Omega Beowulf, if not weaker.

"GRIMM HAS BEEN REMOVED." Ah, much better. Someone evidently played pest-control and killed the damn thing. Now, Soleil could finish up on her sleep.

"Greetings, students. I am Professor Glynda Goodwitch of Beacon…" Soleil sighed to herself as another loud announcement ripped through her drowsiness.

"What I would give for some peace and quiet…" She paid no heed to a couple of girls the Bullhead had picked up when it stopped in the island village of Patch.

* * *

From atop the airship, Jaune swore as he heard the alarm. His Other, however, gave a ponderous gurgling sound.

" _Hmm? A level 17? Sounds_ _ **high**_ …"

"Don't ask me. I never got the chance to go through Grimm Studies."

" _Unimportant detail! Now, what to do, what to do? We can't go along with our original plan to_ _ **stalk our sister**_ _in Beacon."_

"We weren't stalking her! We were just following her closely."

" _Maybe we could've stalked some other people, too. There was a_ _ **pretty cute Mistralian**_ _in there, from what the window could show us._ " Jaune blanched at the thoughts that began to encroach his mind.

"That's a he. And somewhat unfortunately for you, we won't be seeing him around much because this," Jaune eyed what was below the airship: the Euphragris River, which cut the city of Vale in two. "Happens to be our drop."

Jumping off from their free ride, Jaune and his other plummeted towards the water; if one could see them past their camouflage, one would note that their form resembled an expert high-diver's as they crashed into the current.

As they sunk into the water, their feet started shifting. The goo that normally constituted most of their outer body was becoming wider, flatter, more suitable for an aquatic environment.

They swam towards the shore, which wasn't the type of shore one would expect from a river but was instead a perpendicular pile of stone and dirt. Breaching the water, they landed onto solid-enough ground, shaking themselves off like a dog.

As they did, they felt fatigue and hunger- a feeling they felt since yesterday but was now at a crescendo. Their appetite crested, and their camouflage shut itself down so they could conserve energy.

"Shit. Someone must've heard that splash we made, and we can't disappear; gotta get deeper into the forest."

" _YES. We nnnneed to find food. We need_ …" Before the Other could finish, a low growl came from the woods, followed by several more. Red eyes could led black-and-white ravagers to their location- a pack of 34 Beta and Omega Beowulves.

Instead of showing any sort of fear, Jaune and the Other just licked their chops involuntarily. Drool dribbled down their cheek in rivulets.

" _ **Sustenance.**_ "

" **I guess we're going to get the lust-flavored Beowulf chow that you wanted earlier.** "

" _ **Stop thinking about your sister. Time for HUNTING!**_ "

* * *

"Come on! Tell me!" Soleil Arc, despite some fatigue, still allowed herself to be amused by the smaller girl before her. Her name was Ruby Rose, and apparently she was allowed into Beacon earlier than her peers. Soleil would be kind of jealous at the girl if she hadn't found her wallowing in loneliness inside a small crater and if she hadn't extended a hand of acquaintanceship.

Also, there was… something about her. She looked a bit odd- she was pale with silvery eyes, and her attire (and her hair) was almost entirely black and red, with some gothic elements mixed in, and had a long black cape. Still, she had this childishness about her, this unbound naivety that reminded her of her younger sister Cramois- except that Cramois was eight and a half, while the person before her was fifteen and past those halcyon days of youth.

It was a bit commendable, really, to have kept such an air about her even as she became a teenager.

"Why would I spoil a surprise?" Soleil took her revolver, Viridi Arma, from its holster and started to spin it in her hand. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to know about its functions later."

While they were both trying to get to the Beacon Auditorium without being late, that did not mean they couldn't have a conversation, the topic of which was weaponry- a topic that made Ruby Rose seem like a total geek. Seriously, all throughout this first meeting of theirs, she occasionally clammed up so she could study other people's' weapons from afar- something that took Soleil several minutes to figure out when she first noticed this particular quirk. When she DID bring it up, Soleil almost regretted it- she honestly did not want to hear someone talk about rifles and swords and big sticks while moaning and having that childish air. It seemed so wrong.

Hearing Ruby's rant about the creation and specifics of her specialized scythe-gun, Crescent Rose, was even worse.

She thanked the Brothers that Ruby had finished her disturbing monologue about "naughty weapons" and "lubricants" and changed the conversation topic over to HER weapon, Viridi Arma.

"I already told you everything about Crescent Rose, so you owe me!"

"Fine, fine, we'll discuss it in full detail…" She saw the gleam in Ruby's silver eyes. "...After I get to show off a little in initiation."

"WHAAAAT?" Soleil giggled a little.

"I'm sorry, but it's a little fun to tease you." She suddenly felt a bit guilty after seeing Ruby pout at her. "Like I said, I'm sorry! Besides, with things like this, uncertainty and surprise are much more fun! Ever heard of spoiler warnings?"

"Well, duh, of course I know about them! I can't watch any video on RoosterTube without running into those fucking things, and it's annoying! … Oh ok I see what you mean." Her face took on a more sagely appearance before quickly turning back into irritation. "But still!"

 _She really is a kid at heart, huh?... Well, except for the language that is…_ "I already told you, Ruby, I'll show you later. Now, come on- I see our destination up ahead." As Soleil walked onwards to the throng of people, Ruby followed close behind… still pouting.

* * *

" _Ah, yeah…_ _ **wolf it all down, TAKE IT ALL!**_ "

*slurp* "Enough of that," *chomp* "You're going to ruin the flavor."

" _You know how I get after we eat Beowulves."_

"You and-" *munch* "-me both."

It was an odd thing, something that Jaune never really considered before he and his Other met in that hellhole- Grimm have drug-like effects on people's emotions. They alter minds, making people- at least, **beings** capable of consuming Grimm- feel shifts in emotions.

Boarbatusks are a simple, hotheaded rage.

Creeps are a strong anxiety,

Beowulves? Greediness for anything, especially a lusty greed.

If they were professors, Jaune and his Other might have postulated that Grimm have affinities for certain negative emotions; furthermore, they would have stated that Grimm were not _just_ attracted to them, but also _absorb_ them into their own bodies. Considering the various possible attractant emotions themselves was interesting- the subcategories of lust, the different levels of anger, etcetera and etcetera.

Not to mention the various flavors Grimm could have! Beowulf flank is sweet-and-salty; Nevermore feet are tangy; Death-Stalker stingers are spicy; and the ichor that fills up all Grimm tastes clear and refreshing as if it were water.

Of course, eating parts of a Grimm is difficult upon its death- it evaporates into the air as a dark vapor. It can still be consumed- via inhalation- and fill up an empty stomach and altr emotion, but the vapor tastes like air, like blandness and a void. As such, Jaune and his Other were fond of breaking Grimm limbs, immobilizing them further in the pair's dark sludge, and consuming them alive.

"... I wonder if-" *narf* "-humans can eat this?"

" _... Well, we can find out now._ " As Other gurgled out, Jaune felt it- emotions. Something was nearby. " _Ufufufufu… we're_ _ **so close**_ _to Beacon. I wonder how other Grimm would react if we carried around_ _ **a Huntsman's head on a stick**_ _? Better yet, don't_ _ **mutilate**_ _the body. We can use it as_ _ **a negativity lure**_ _! It would_ _ **be like**_ _fishing!_ " Jaune willed Other to shut up. Slowly, he turned around in a circle as he sensed for the source.

The emotions: Negative. Strongly. A hint of fear, disgust, and anxiousness. Wait, not fear- terror. Stronger. Location… 50 feet... 4 o'clock!

Whipping their bodies around, Jaune and his Other quickly bounded over some shrubs and roots, quickly activating their camouflage. They crashed through a tree, lacerating it to shreds before taking in the current situation.

It wasn't exactly what they expected to see, this close to the Academy. They expected a Huntsman or a Hunting Party, or maybe even a group of students out on a stroll. They expected that someone had seen them consuming other Grimm, or that maybe they stumbled across an unlucky wanderer being ravaged by Grimm. Chances are, they could've stumbled upon a corpse- messy leftovers from another Grimm.

Instead, they saw a somewhat heart-wrenching scene. A little girl- Faunus, judging by the charcoal bunny ears atop her bistre hair. She wore mahogany converses, tan kneesocks, a pine-green skirt that went to her knees, an emerald shirt, and an evergreen bolero, all over her fair skin. Probably from traversing through the woods, her clothing was marred; there were tears across her kneesocks, her skirt had frays, and her bolero had a large rip on her left arm- her skin itself was also bruised and scratched up. Her face was dirty, and Jaune could see the tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes- they were caused by terror, he sensed.

She was terrified. It wasn't just because she was a little girl that was, presumably, lost in the woods- it was also because of what she saw before her.

Beta Beowulves. Larger, older, smarter, and actually dangerous compared to Omegas. There were four of them, forming a circle around the little Faunus and trapping her against a tall oak. It was obvious they were the source of the terror- but what about the disgust? Well, it didn't take Jaune and Other long to see the dry, crusty, rusty-colored blood coating the Beowulves' fur.

As Jaune stared at the scene, one Beowulf gnashed its canines together, frightening the young Faunus even further and causing her to flinch.

In the split-second she closed her eyes, Jaune and the Other made their move. Switching from stealth to attack, they undid their camouflage before launching a stream of dark scum that lanced through two of the Beowulves' heads. Leaping forwards, he grabbed another Beowulf by the face before slamming it into the ground; He applied more force, and crushed the skull. They could sense the last Beowulf had surged at him while his back was turned; with sheer coldness, Jaune twisted around while his Other made something protrude from their hand- a brilliantly white blade, as thick as their arm and sharper than their fangs. With a squelch, the blade pierced through the Beowulf's mandible, up past the maxilla, and penetrating the Beowulf's brain.

Kicking the Grimm's head off their sword, the duo stared intently at the decaying, vaporizing corpses of the dark creatures. They noticed eyes boring into the back of their skull; the Faunus was watching, and a barrage of emotions ran through her. Fear, disgust, nervousness, relief, wonder, curiosity, disbelief.

Jaune turned to face her. Slowly, he walked towards her. When he was four feet away, he squatted down so that he was eye level with her. Jaune and the Other's voice gurgled.

" _ **... Who are you?**_ "

* * *

Soleil Arc giggled as teenager, her age and gender and with the same hair color- except hers was more of a lion's mane than a neat ponytail, or waterfall since she had removed her hair tie already- dodged a pillow thrown at her by an irate rosebud. None of them were wearing normal clothes- they were all in sleepwear. Ruby had on a cute, black tank-top with a Beowulf head shaped like a heart and pajama pants with pink roses; Soleil was tomboyishly decked out in a bright-yellow t-shirt and blue shorts; the other blonde, who had lilac eyes and a smug grin, wore an orange tank-top with a burning heart emblazoned on it, and wore black short-shorts. They were sitting on sleeping bags and pillows and blankets placed next to each other; the pre-first-day at Beacon had ended, and now all the potential first year students were sleeping together in a massive ballroom.

Ruby was absolutely steaming at the second blonde.

"Yang!" Ruby drawled on in her high-pitched tone of voice. "Don't tell her that story!"

"Oh, come on, Rubes!" The attractive blonde teenager, now known as Yang, hollered out. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't talk about that one time with a pool noodle?"

It truly intrigued soleil. Exactly what happened with a pool noodle that caused Ruby such strife? It must have been something embarrassing, no doubt, since Ruby was adamant about not revealing her secret. Though, it must have also been rather hilarious for the two other teens she was talking with to playfully bicker like they were now. In all honesty, it reminded her of her and her sisters' arguments back home. For example, it was like that one time when she saw a butterfly, followed it around and-

She had to suppress a giggle. Big-Sis Blanc still felt sore about what happened to her hair after that event.

"Hey!" Yang interrupted her reminiscing. Soleil stared at the impressive holds that Ruby and Yang had each other in: Yang currently had Ruby in a headlock with her fist giving the poor rosebudl a noogie; Ruby was holding Yang's foot and held an oversized feather dangerously close to the blonde's sole. "What's funny?"

"Oh, nothing." Soleil bit back a giggle. "It's just that you two reminded me of something that happened between me and my sisters. It's kinda like this noodle incident you guys were arguing about." Yang beamed.

"Of course! Everywhere ya go, sisters oughta be alike! You got good times, bad times, funny times, embarassing times- but they're all part of sister time!"

"Ack! You're not being very sisterly now, Yang…" Ruby managed to choke out. Halfway through Yang's statement, she tightened her headlock- as if she wanted to give Ruby a hug- and was pressing Ruby's face into her left mammary. Worse, Ruby was not getting air.

"Ha! Sorry, Rubes. Just giving my sis some love!" The blonde released her hold, and Ruby comically gulped down a gallon of fresh air. As Yang chuckled at the sight, a thought formed into her head. "Say, my fellow blonde, what about you?"

"Huh?"

"You didn't mention your family much yet. You're already a friend of Ruby- and by proxy, me- and we've already told you about how we're sisters from Patch Island..."

"Wasn't that how the embarrassing baby stories started?" Yang and Ruby chose to ignore her.

"So come on, tell us about your family!" Yang leaned forward, ready to hear about her new friend/acquaintance's family. Ruby leaned forward, too, but she was nodding her head enthusiastically.

"Yeah, Yeah!" The rose took a second to think. "... and tell me about any weapons they might use!" The two golden-haired teens rolled their eyes playfully.

"Where to start…" Soleil drawled. She decided to talk about her family's ranch just on the outskirts of Pucelle, full title Domrémy-la-Pucelle, and the beauty of the world around it. Just outside the fields of crops and the meadows for animals to graze was an expansive forest, with tall trees that stayed lush and verdant all year- possible since Pucelle on the island of Vosges, some nautical miles south of Patch with a nice climate. She mentioned her mother and father- Iris and Ciel Arc- a duo with rugged looks, rugged strength, and naught but love for family and work. She mentioned her six sisters-

"Six?!" The Patchelites blurted out in unison. "Someone's been busy."

"Stop, please, I don't want that image of parents." Soleil groaned out before she continued on. "Like I said, six sisters. The oldest two are Blanc- we just call her 'B'- and Noir, with Noir being the younger by a year; Noir is older than me by three years. Blanc is free-spirited optimistic about everything, while Noir is a serious-type person with a lot of doubt in her. Following that is Celeste, who's only nine-and-a-half months older than me; she's a studious and witty girl. Then comes my younger siblings, the triplets. Yeah, you heard me right- I said triplets. Emeraude, Lilas, Cramois. Emeraude is overly happy, Cramois is very emotional, and Lilas is a little prankster. And, well,"

She thought about her twin for a moment. She decided against talking about him- he's too much of a sore spot right now, and heaven knows she isn't _that_ much of a friend to the Patch sisters. "That's basically my family. All of us, living on a farm being close knit."

"You didn't mention their weapons!" Soleil gave a chuckle.

"Sorry, Ruby, but look outside." The young bud did, and she saw it- the shattered moon of Remnant was high in the sky, indicating a late time. Ruby turned to Yang, who gave her a pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah, I know- it's late now and we need to get our beauty sleep for tomorrow." Soleil gave the girl a pat on the shoulder.

"Maybe at the breakfast table tomorrow, ok? Good night, you two!"

All three of them laid their heads on their pillows.

* * *

 **A/N: Here we are**

 **Before anyone says anything, this format- switching back and forth between brother and sister- will not occur in every chapter.**

 **Next chapter whenever**

 **Where's my Super-Suit?**


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